“They can’t say no when they are stunned” -Taric Guide

After patch 6.7 Taric is back in the player’s attention. The mellow voiced support is now more popular than ever with a complete rework coming soon and I’ve been playing him exclusively for the past few days. Take advantage of “the old Taric” while you can because he will be a brand new champion in a short while. Here are some thoughts on how to play Taric support!

There is a form of magic unknown to many Runeterrans and discredited by the few who are even aware of its existence. It is the magic of the earth, drawing power from the resonance of crystals and gems. Taric, the Gem Knight, is Runeterra’s sole practitioner of this form of magic, having been erratically summoned to Runeterra from a faraway world. Back home, Taric’s father was a distinguished healer in their home city. Taric was always interested in his father’s pursuits, even from a young age. Despite his burgeoning understanding of herbs, plants, and animal medicines, it was the power of gems that most fascinated the growing boy. It wasn’t long before Taric had exhausted his father’s coveted library and set out on a path of his own. He wanted to help the people, but not by simply salving their wounds and curing their woes. He wasn’t to be a healer, but a defender – one who used the power of earth to preserve and protect.

Taric became a wandering knight, renowned across his homeland as a guardian of the just until the day a spell of summoning grabbed him from his home and deposited him on Runeterra. Though disoriented and confused at first, he now feels that the continent of Valoran is in need of someone like him. Despite missing his homeland, Taric is happy to fight in the League, serving as a protector for all who seek one. His neat and stylish appearance combined with his shiny bejeweled armor and weapons have rapidly made him a celebrity champion of the League of Legends. Valoran’s media, for some reason, has taken a great interest in his personal life. While open about his life as a champion and gracious in all things, Taric is tight-lipped about his life outside the League and prefers his privacy.

As Taric’s father taught him, every stone has its meaning. For Taric’s enemies, they all mean trouble.

Passive – Gemcraft

After using an ability, Taric’s next basic attack deals bonus magic damage equal to 20% of Taric’s armor and reduces his abilities’ cooldown by 2 seconds.

Once you engage the fight you will always open up with Dazzle (E), in turn gives you 1 or 2 auto attacks to reduce the Cooldown on the rest of your spells.

Q – Imbue

ACTIVE: Taric channels earthen energy to heal a target allied unit. As the magic flows through them he is healed for the same amount. If Taric heals only himself, the heal will be 40% more effective.

HEAL: 60 / 100 / 140 / 180 / 220 (+ 30% AP) (+ 5% bonus health)

SELF HEAL: 84 / 140 / 196 / 252 / 308 (+ 42% AP) (+ 7% bonus health)

This should rarely be used because you should save your mana for Dazzle (E) + Shatter (W) combo early game. You can use this mid fight to help with the cooldown reduction.

W – Shatter

PASSIVE: Taric reinforces his armor with gemstones, increasing his armor while Shatter is off cooldown. He also gains a 500-range aura increasing his armor and allied champions’ armor by 12% of his total armor.

Shatter (W) is what you live for. Giving you and your ADC more armour which means more damage in lane, Max this ASAP. Also if you wish to push your lane, run to the mage minions at the back, Shatter (W) and your ADC will kill them in 1 hit each.

E – Dazzle

ACTIVE: Taric fires a prismatic sphere at a target enemy. On impact the target is stunned and takes magic damage that increases the closer the target is to Taric (up to 200%).

Missile Speed: 1400

STUN DURATION: 1.2 / 1.3 / 1.4 / 1.5 / 1.6

MINIMUM MAGIC DAMAGE: 40 / 70 / 100 / 130 / 160 (+ 20% AP)

MAXIMUM MAGIC DAMAGE: 80 / 140 / 200 / 260 / 320 (+ 40% AP)

If you can help it, Always try Dazzle (E) your target as close as possible to do more damage to help the fight go your way early in the fight, if not then it’s not a big deal. the closer you are to your target when you Dazzle (E), the more damage you do. So if you are getting ganked and not sure your ADC will escape, always.. ALWAYS go in deep into that gank and Dazzle (E) them in the face. You may die, but hopefully your ADC would have been smart enough to run.

R – Radiance

ACTIVE: Taric slams the ground with his hammer, dealing magic damage to enemies within range. For the next 10 seconds, Taric emits an aura of light that increases his attack damage and ability power, while allies within 500 range gain half of those bonuses.

MAGIC DAMAGE: 150 / 250 / 350 (+ 50% AP)

SELF ATTACK DAMAGE & ABILITY POWER BONUS: 30 / 50 / 70

AURA ATTACK DAMAGE & ABILITY POWER BONUS: 15 / 25 / 35

Now here it is, level 6 and you got this game changer. Now when you want to fight your combo should be, Dazzle (E) – AUTO ATTACK – Radiance (R) – AUTO ATTACK – Shatter (W) – AUTO ATTACK – Imbue (Q)- Then repeat combo, by this point you would have done some serious damage.

Summoner Spells

ADC Champions to use against: Ashe – Ezreal – Lucian – Sivir – Vayne – Twitch I have picked these champions because they are susceptible to more damage. Most will blow engages i.e Tumbles/dashes just to open onto the ADC which means you move in for the guaranteed kill or summoner spells. Your combo should have them dead or low by the time they get remotely close to your ADC.

Support Champions to use against: Janna – Karma – Lulu – Nami – Sona – Soraka – Vel’Koz – Zyra I have picked these because of how squishy they are. Early fights will always insure they will respect and fear the fact you have ignite and a nice amount of burst. If they aren’t smart players then you will scoop up some easy early game kills.

Taking Ignite also gives you more Influence in lane. Most people are scared to engage, those who are scared are the easiest targets because they will 85% of the time mess up their combo’s. You as the support should be experienced enough to notice when a perfect time to go in and punish them for their mistakes.

ADC Champions to use against: Caitlyn – Corki – Draven – Graves – Kalista – Jinx – Miss Fortune – Varus – Urgot – Quinn I have picked these because they have nasty potential to deny any ADC they are against. Mainly for some of their ults to secure a safe escape for your team.

Support Champions to use against: Annie – Braum – Blitz – Leona – Morgana – Nautilus I have chosen these because again of their capabilities of catching and destroying your ADC. Helps secure escape or Kill in some cases.

Taking Exhaust is a good team summoner to have. No matter how far behind your team are, all you need is that one catch and push to bring you back, majority of the time Exhaust will be the reason it was successful. Just try not to blow it needlessly. In teamfights, also helps with more CC for your ADC. Saving the ADC = Victory and Freelo.

– If you ignored part of the guide and started with Imbue (Q) instead of Shatter (W) or even Dazzle (E) then all you can do really is use it ASAP on your ADC, by this point they should have turned to you because you will be closer to them, so the second heal should be on you. Whilst you do this you should be running back towards tower while your ADC picks away at their HP.

– If you started with Dazzle (E) then there’s not a whole lot more you can do, same with the heal. Just insure when going to stun you are close to them to do more damage and proceed with your auto attacks. If they start to run, don’t get too cocky, that’s where you let your ADC use their range to keep up and attack. If needs be, last hit while your ADC focuses on damaging the enemy.

Level 2;

– If by this point you have Imbue (Q) & Dazzle (E) then depending on your ADC’s HP, if it’s low then you start by healing them and initiating on the enemy ADC with your Dazzle (E) and auto attacks. Only really heal yourself if you are the main target of the two at bottom.

– If you have Imbue (Q) & Shatter (W) then you should expect to take a bit more damage because you won’t have that pause in incoming damage because of the delay that your Stun causes. Just proceed with the heal (depending on the HP) if it’s low hp then heal, auto attack then run into them to shatter and repeat the order.

– Hopefully you should have Shatter (W) & Dazzle (E) at level 2, this means you can initiate the fight with your Stun from a distance which will (should) give you enough time to get close and use Shatter (W). Keeping up your auto attacks. ALWAYS try to remember that if you are winning trades then you want to run ahead of the target early so that you can put in that tiny bit more damage, denying them running back to base with 2 hp. Yes, it’s annoying we have all been there.

Pros / Cons

Pros

+ Early game you take near to no damage, but deal tons of damage in return.

+ You look fabulous while carrying.

+ Closer you are the more damage dealt with the Stun (E)

+ Has a sustainable Heal.

+ Heavy Tank.

+ Cooldowns can be rotated properly and always kept no longer than a 5 second Cooldown.

+ Highly underestimated, people will engage if you are out in the open.

+ Give a lot of passive Armour to the team and himself.

+ Can be the team initiator

+ After a few fights, can have a huge presence in the game.

Cons

– AP Will hurt until build more tanky.

– If it’s the first time you try playing Taric it may be a bit difficult but it will get easier.

– You WILL be the main focus in ganks (only if you play Influence Taric right). They won’t care for your ADC because you will be doing so much damage and getting all the kills. (Sometimes on purpose)

– You won’t have any GP5 but if you play Taric correctly then you will get gold from kills and assists.

– takes a while to travel to the target.

– Early game mana usage is poor.

– You are prone to CC which will render you useless.

– Can be CC’d easily if not controlled cooldowns properly.

– If your ADC let’s you die, you will be behind for a very long time, but stick it out because you will become powerful regardless.

Team Work

No matter how bad your team are just remember, YOU LOOK FABULOUS! So losing doesn’t matter.

You will always try to initiate fights because people underestimate Taric so they will open up on you for the easy kill and not care for anybody else, but because you are so Tanky, your team SHOULD melt the fight before you die.

Teamwork with Taric is crucial. If the other team has high mobility then you need to rely on your team to help pick them off. If you manage to at-least get your Stun (E) off then there’s always a 80% chance it’s a catch off kill, which as we all know, can turn and maybe win games that one push. So ensure you and your team are on the same page. If you feel as if your team lack the amount of brain cells required to lick a battery then do not fear to SPAM the target button. hopefully that should trigger their cells and help kick their brain into gear and attack that target. If you flame yoru team as Taric, then you have pretty much signed your own Loss Card. Unless ofcourse you buy Mobility Boots with Alacrity because without them and you flame, you will literally be as useless as a birth control pill taken a couple months down the line.

Also, if you find that mobility is playing a huge factor in you missing out on opportunities to help turn the game for your team then don’t be afraid to sell something for Talisman of Ascension. The movement speed boost along with Mobility Boots will have you going faster than Usain Bolt on Speed.

Farming

Now we have farming. Clearly if your ADC isn’t in lane then you farm, BUT if you feel your ADC doesn’t deserve farm and you are the ADC then you take that farm. Just take it. You can carry as Taric, they may rage but they will understand when you carry the team to Victory.

Do’s:

– Only farm if you know how to Freeze/Push a lane correctly.

– Push if you know you can take the tower before anybody gets there.

– Farm an entire wave if you are close to a main item and your team aren’t on their way to you.

Do Not’s:

– Push/Kill minions if your team player is near, that’s just a **** move.

– Push someone’s tower too early. If they don’t want the tower to be taken, then leave them to it.

– Force a dragon fight because you feel you are God. It doesn’t work and you will most probably cause your team a nice big juicy loss.